Trump no-show at big Asian economic forum may risk US reputation in region

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GYEONGJU, South Korea (AP) — A hot mike caught U.S. President Donald Trump saying that his much-anticipated meeting Thursday with Chinese President Xi Jinping, meant to settle the most important trade relationship in the world, would be “three, four hours” and he would then fly back to Washington.

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It was actually much shorter, an hour and 40 minutes, but true to his word he was on a plane well before the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit was to begin Friday.

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Trump’s decision to skip APEC fits with his well-known disdain for the big, multi-nation forums that have been traditionally used to address huge global problems, and his relish of the kind of one-on-one diplomacy that can result in big deals, or at least interesting headlines.

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But his blunt dismissal of this weekend’s APEC diplomacy risks worsening America’s reputation at a forum that represents nearly 40% of the world’s population and more than half of global goods trade.

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It also stands in contrast to China’s approach.

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Showing up matters in Asian diplomacy, and the Chinese leader is scheduled to be in South Korea until the forum ends this weekend, hoping to gain wins in Trump’s absence.

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What Trump’s absence at APEC signals to the region

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On social media Trump celebrated his meeting with Xi in South Korea as a “G2,” a recognition of America and China’s status as the world’s two biggest economies and a play on the multi-national Group of Seven (G7) and Group of 20 (G20) forums.

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Still, Trump tried to emphasize American ties to the broader region throughout his trip, which started in Malaysia with the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

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Xi did not go, and Trump told the “spectacular leaders” there that he remained committed to the region and was “on a mission of friendship and goodwill, and to deepen our ties of commerce, to strengthen our common security and really to promote strongly stability, prosperity and peace.”

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Some analysts, however, describe a rudderless Asia policy by the Trump administration.

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“He does not appear to want his hands tied by a disciplined, coherent strategy,” Michael Green, who worked on former U.S President George W. Bush’s National Security Council and now leads the United States Studies Centre in Sydney, Australia, said of Trump’s Asia efforts.

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It remains to be seen whether Trump’s personalized brand of foreign policy will erode U.S. influence and leadership, said Go Myong-hyun, an analyst at South Korea’s Institute of National Security Strategy.

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“Of course, the United States’ reputation will worsen compared to the idealistic internationalism the rest of the world had long associated with America,” Go said. “But it’s too early to say for sure whether the United States’ status and strengths are really in decline.”

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Issues that might be settled at APEC without Trump

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APEC is a much less important gathering than it used to be, especially since Washington began dismantling global trading norms under Trump, whose sweeping U.S. tariffs have rattled friends and foes alike.